On December 19, 2023, UL Solutions, a global expert in applied safety science, officially hosted the Technical Exchange Summit for safety certification clients of light electric vehicles in North America in Shenzhen. Many well-known manufacturers and technical professionals from the South China region gathered for in-depth technical exchanges and experience sharing.
The summit focused on the industry’s current situation, development trends, safety issues, government attitudes, market standards, etc., in the development of light electric transportation tools (e-bikes, electric scooters, etc.) in the North American market in recent years. Analysis and explanations were provided.
In her opening speech, Yu Xiukun, Vice President and General Manager of the Global Consumer Electronics and Medical Business Unit at UL Solutions, expressed that the light electric vehicle industry has vast development prospects. In recent years, the market has grown rapidly, but numerous safety accidents have occurred, causing varying degrees of loss to consumers and businesses. The series of accidents has also attracted attention from relevant government departments, necessitating joint efforts to promote market norms and drive the industry’s healthy development.
▲ Yu Xiukun, Vice President and General Manager of the Global Consumer Electronics and Medical Business Unit at UL Solutions
Frequent Product Safety Incidents
As a crucial market for the light electric vehicle industry, North America has seen rapid growth in market demand and sales in recent years. However, with the influx of more manufacturers and products, the market has experienced uneven product quality. North America has reported multiple fire accidents caused by battery failures, leading to serious consequences. On November 12 of this year, a lithium-ion battery in a Brooklyn electric scooter caused a fire, resulting in three deaths and fourteen injuries. In the first half of this year alone, the United States witnessed over 200 incidents of fires or overheating in light transportation vehicles, leading to at least 19 deaths.
Product safety has become a sword hanging over the industry, sounding an alarm in the ears of manufacturers.
New Regulations from the New York City Council
To enhance the fire safety of electric bicycles, electric scooters, and lithium batteries powering these devices, the New York City Council passed a new regulation on March 2, 2023. The regulation mandates that electric bicycles, electric scooters, and other electric mobile devices, including their battery packs, must undergo third-party certification by an authorized laboratory. The specific applicable product standards include:
- UL 2849 Electric Bicycle Electrical System Standard
- UL 2272 Personal Electric Mobility Devices Electrical System Standard
- UL 2271 Batteries for Light Electric Vehicles (LEV) Standard
This regulation became effective on August 29, 2023. This means that, starting from this date, it is illegal to wholesale, sell, or rent uncertified light electric riding products or batteries within New York City.
The regulation, mandating safety certification standards, has raised the market entry threshold, guiding the industry towards standardized development. It also presents a challenge to Chinese manufacturers of light electric vehicles exporting to the United States.
The regulation enacted by New York has played a significant exemplary role in the entire U.S. light electric vehicle industry and has a considerable impact on the industry. As China is a major source of bicycles for the U.S. market, focusing on product safety and strictly controlling product quality is crucial for domestic manufacturers. Therefore, gaining a deep understanding of safety certification standards in the U.S. market and promptly completing product certification is essential for domestic manufacturers.
UL Solutions Promotes Certification Standards for In-depth Implementation, Facilitating Safety Standard Adoption
Nearly 80% of North American light electric vehicle products come from Chinese manufacturers (source: CPA). As a global safety science expert, UL Solutions has actively participated in the wave of development in light transportation, driving technological progress and industry development for personal light electric riding products. To reduce the electrical safety risks of light electric vehicle products, UL Solutions has introduced industry standards such as UL 2271, UL 2272, and UL 2849. At this conference, two technical certification experts from UL Solutions were invited to share and analyze common failure cases and reasons for North American certification in light electric vehicles and battery packs.
Jia Ke, a technical expert in light electric vehicle products from UL Solutions, shared various test types for vehicles, providing insights into North American certification standards and common failure cases and reasons.
▲ Jia Ke, Technical Expert in Light Electric Vehicle Products at UL Solutions
Peng Jun, a battery certification expert from UL Solutions, shared important battery certification standards and common failure cases and reasons.
▲ Peng Jun, Battery Certification Expert at UL Solutions
Wang Jiapeng, Business Development Manager of the Consumer Electronics and Medical Business Unit at UL Solutions, suggested that future market spot checks for product certification will undoubtedly become stricter. Therefore, for domestic manufacturers of light electric vehicles, it is advisable to understand and apply as early as possible.
▲ Wang Jiapeng, Business Development Manager of the Consumer Electronics and Medical Business Unit at UL Solutions
During the conference, Weilun Net, as an industry media representative, was invited by UL Solutions to analyze and discuss the current development status of the North American light electric vehicle market and the safety risks in the industry.
▲ Weilun Net, Media Operations
Weilun Net stated during the conference that in 2020, the outbreak of the global pandemic led to a surge in demand for personal mobility tools that avoid close contact. Among them, more practical electric bicycles (ebikes) became extremely popular and attracted favor from various capital sources.
In the United States alone, electric bicycle sales reached 550,000 units in 2021, doubling from 2019. From 2023 to 2030, the North American electric bicycle market is expected to grow at an annual compound rate of 10%. However, compared to the traditional bicycle industry’s size for outdoor sports riding, the ebike penetration rate in the North American market still has a lot of room for growth. Therefore, for domestic manufacturers, it presents a tremendous market opportunity.
The conference concluded with a simple yet grand customer appreciation ceremony by UL Solutions, thanking customers for safeguarding the safety of light electric vehicles.
Market Opportunities Under Product Safety Challenges
The North American market for light electric vehicles has significant growth potential in the future. As products become more popular, consumer awareness of product safety will gradually increase. Certification logos can help consumers identify the safety performance of products. For enterprises and brands, obtaining product certification can increase consumer confidence and enhance brand credibility. For the industry, safety certification standards raise the market entry threshold, helping accelerate the elimination of companies producing non-compliant products and fostering healthy competition.
This summit played a positive role in promoting the popularization of industry safety standards, facilitating technical exchanges and cooperation, and reducing product safety risks. It provided direction for enterprises aiming to expand in the North American market in the long term.
As a globally authoritative testing and certification organization, UL Solutions proposes safety standards based on industry consensus, helping reduce potential risks in new and traditional technologies, especially electrical components. If you missed this conference, you can contact UL Solutions through the provided link or contact person to learn about relevant certification information.
Southern China Region
Huang Shen (Suki Huang)
Phone: 135 7049 5242
Email: [email protected]
